£150k restoration for ‘Just Jane’ Lancaster

A £150,000 project to restore part of a Lancaster bomber based near Horncastle is getting under way, but help is needed to fund the work.

The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, at East Kirkby, will be launching another winter restoration for its Avro Lancaster, NX611 or ‘Just Jane’, as work continues to see it fly again.

Images of Just Jane being restored last year. EMN-181120-143748001

It is the second in a 10-year programme of improvements planned for the aircraft.

Last year, it included a complete rebuild of the starboard tail fin and rudder.

General manager Andrew Panton said: “The main aim of each winter restoration period is to restore a section of the aircraft to airworthy condition.

“The Lancaster can be split down into 20 parts such as wing tips, ailerons, elevators, nose, cockpit, rudders, fins, outer wings, fuselage sections and so on which enables us to target particular parts each winter to eventually end up with a completely restored air frame.

“This winter period we are rebuilding the port fin and rudder while also overhauling the port engine subframes and undercarriage mounting structure.

“We have a propeller to send off to Canada for overhaul and some rewiring of the aircraft.”

This winter restoration period will cost about £150,000, for which the centre receives no grants or external funding.

“All of the work is funded by the operating of the centre, whether it be an admission fee, a cup of tea sold in the cafe, or a book bought in the shop,” Andrew continued. “We have started a club whose members can follow the restoration of the Lancaster with weekly emails for just £2 per month, the club is currently providing around £40,000 to the project per year.”

• To join the club, dubbed the Rivet Club, visit at www.lincsaviation.co.uk and look under ‘store’ or go to tinyurl.com/ycpyumcl.